Bradley Wiggins added another 'world-class performance' to his results on Wednesday in the World Championships elite men's time trial. Behind winner Tony Martin, he edged ahead of Fabian Cancellara for the silver medal.
"I think it's just another world-class performance for me," Wiggins told Cycling Weekly. "They're becoming more consistent now."
The Worlds silver medal result adds to a successful year for Wiggins. He won the Critérium du Dauphiné stage race and placed third overall at the Paris-Nice. Despite a broken collarbone sustained at the Tour de France in july, he re-bounded for third overall at the Vuelta a España and now a silver medal at the Worlds.
Wiggins led team Sky in its debut year last year, but he and the team now acknowledge the focus was too much on the Tour de France.
"We focused too much on one rider and one race," head of team Sky and British Cycling's performance director, David Brailsford explained in June. "We entered the year with a different philosophy, entering each race in its own right."
"After a disastrous 2010, I wanted to start enjoying it more this year and race more for results," Wiggins told Cycling Weekly on Wednesday. "I think I've done that, right from Paris-Nice. I had a very consistent year, which has also reflected in the world rankings."
Wiggins finished the two 23.3-kilometre circuits around Copenhagen - 46.4 kilometres - in 54 minutes and 59.68 seconds. He bumped German Bert Grabsch out of the first spot and held on until the end. Four-time winner, Swiss rider Cancellara came close, but fell short of Wiggins' time by five seconds. Only German Tony Martin could do better, beating Wiggins by one minute, 15.83 seconds.
"To finish it off here with a World Championships medal, in the company of those two guys, it's a great feeling," Wiggins continued. "Fabian has probably been the best time trial rider in the world for at least five years and Tony Martin is the man who may dominate the next five years."
Wiggins was the only one of 65 cyclists to ride faster in the second lap. He said that it was a perfect ride.
"I decided not to use a radio today. I just rode my own race: paced the first lap and rode faster on the second lap. I didn't want to know any splits, whether I was down or not," Wiggins said.
"As for everyone else, I can't control what they are going to do. It's a case of just doing my best ride. There was no way I was going to find a minute and 15 seconds. I can't think of anywhere where I could have found more time, it was a perfect ride really."
Related links
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Junior men time trial
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External links
Copenhagen 2011 official website
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